THE PASSING SHOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 50, 28 February 1931, Page 8

THE PASSING SHOW.

(By THE MAN ABOUT TOWN. J Tlic liner Tasmania lay at anchor in the harbour this morning, and a couple of ferry passengers remarked on the vividness with which the golden letters TASMANIA. on the ship's stern showed up. "Good name for a limerick," said one. "Right-oft, let's have a pop at it," replied tlic other, and line by line the following gem of poesy was evolved: There was a young girl of Tasmania, Who fell for the current jazzmania. Her mother said: "Nell, If you don't cease to yell, _ We shail certainly have to restrain yer. PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK.

Mr. G. C, Muims, M.P. for Roskill, is Chief Government Whip. Hi entered polities in 192S and soon proved his value to his constituents, for there is no NO. 186. member of the House who does more work for local bodies. No matter is too small for him to take up; provided that the question is one of genuine importance, he spares himself neither time nor trouble. Since he entered Parliament he has been chairman of sereral Select Committees, including the one which last session considered the Unemployment Bill. A fluent speaker, and a man of pleasing personality, Mr. Munns is a worthy representative of an important constituency. "I know itk naughty of me," said a fellow householder to M.A.T., "but I really do not like having to pay my income tax. I get the same kind of feeling as TOO LATE when I know I've got to TO PAY. have a tooth out. I put it off, and put it off, but at last it has to happen. I liad screwed my determination (and my modest finances) up to the required point one afternoon this week, however, so round I went to the Income Tax Offices. I put the money on the counter and handed in the usual document. Nothing doing. They didn't want it, believe me. It was just after three o'clock, and apparently they don't receive money later than three! I paid another visit later in the week with very mixed feelings, and this time it was quite in order for me to pay. I wondered what might have hap-/ pened in the case of a man who was leaving the town, or even leaving the country, and wanted to pay (after three o'clock) before he left. The authorities certainly couldn't have prevented him leaving."

Reference to cleverly-named racehorses has attracted the interest of several correspondents. A well-known sportsman reproaches M.A.T. for forgetting to AS SHE IS SPOKE, mention the peerless Carbine (whose sire was Musket). Also he instances Pardon (a eon of Reprieve), and, to come to modern times, Honour (by Limond —Homage). Another contributor recalls the old bookmaking days, when tlio knights of the pencil had their verbal struggles with names such as Matamataharakeke and classical cognomens such as Achilles. The first was conveniently condensed to "Matamata," or "This 'ere Mata," whilst Achilles seldom got past "Ar-chillies." We have no Matamataharakekes nowadays, but the hurdler Kamehameha has been known to puzzle those who are not accustomed to chat simplest of pronunciation rules for the Maori language. Simply divide the word into its syllables, and pronounce them just as spelt. Easy, isn't it?

Dear M.A.T., —With divorcee threatening to overtake marriages and all the nasty complications that ensue, more danger is in store for men who trifle with RETRIBUTION", the affections of married women (other than their own wives), if the decision of a Paris tribunal is accepted as a precedent. The court laid it down that as far as women were concerned marriage was a livelihood and the unjust removal of any woman's "salaried appointment" as supervisor of a husband's household warranted ample compensation. Mme. Duverny sued a wealthy merchant, M. Combescot, for compensation on the ground that he persuaded her to give up her husband and her home. She said that Combescot, a married man, fell deeply in love with her and held out such promises of a comfortable future for her that she divorced her husband in order to marry him. The merchant went on a business trip to South America and said he had changed his mind. She was without any resources and found it difficult to earn a living. He had caused her to lose the "position" she held in life. The court accepted this view and ordered the merchant to pay a life pension of £24 per month. Possibly many New Zealand men, and also women, will glance at this item with more than passing interest? —Fido.

Dear M.A.T., —A member of Parliament was remarking to some friends that an earthquake had been prognosticated for Wellington next July, but did not COMPENSATION, state who was the prophet. He also mentioned that Parliament might be sitting then. If he expected sympathy his hopes were roughly dispelled by the remark of one bystander: "It will be some compensation if it rids us of our politicians." Such is the ingratitude of the masses for whom politicians nobly sacrifice themselves. —Heartbroken.

THOUGHTS FOR TO-DAY. One often hears of men being conquered by the evil that is in them, but very little is said of the other victory—the victory of the good.—Robert Hitchens. * * * * It matters not how straight the gate, How charged with punishment the scroß; I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my, soul. —Wv